AuthorTopic: George - His Excellent Solo Career ? (Read 17764 times)

He may not have been mega successful like McCartney or been the critics darling like Lennon .But i'm now eight solo albums into George's solo career and i think it was pretty excellent on the whole ?There is a lot to admire about his solo work from the sublime "All Things Must Pass" to the frivolity "Gone Troppo"Your thoughts please on solo George , how do you rate him ? I'm loving his solo work especially "Gone Troppo" it's my kind of album full of fun and very George , i now think he had the second best solo career out of The Beatles ?

Sorry Dave, but apart from ATMP and Material World I find his work dull and uninspiring. Occassionally he rises to the dizzy heights of "nice" with an album like George Harrison. Some albums (ie Dark Horse) are just plain bad.Whether his fragile confidence was destroyed by My Sweet Lord or if there wasn't that much their anyway I don't know.

Sorry Dave, but apart from ATMP and Material World I find his work dull and uninspiring. Occassionally he rises to the dizzy heights of "nice" with an album like George Harrison. Some albums (ie Dark Horse) are just plain bad.Whether his fragile confidence was destroyed by My Sweet Lord or if there wasn't that much their anyway I don't know.

I'm not finding him dull or uninspiring Kevin , he's a bit of a revelation to me especially on the album front a good half dozen of his albums i really like inparticular his 80's albums Somewhere in England , Gone Troppo and Cloud Nine and if you add the Travelling Wilburys first album it's a pretty cool decades worth of music ?Gone Troppo is a real JOY, it's as mad as a bag of ferrets , it's a brilliant album ?

First of all, 'Gone troppo' just flat out sucks,,,,period. Besides McCartney 2, its easily the worst solo effort of any of the Beatles.

Ok, now that I got that off of my shoulders, I like Georges solo output on the whole. I understand Kevins stance though too. One just doesnt slap on a Harrison album and get knocked out. I remember when I bought 'Extra Texture' and thought to myself, 'Man, this album sucks. Way to boring and depressing', but after about 10 listens, I loved it. George takes awhile to sink in unlike Pauls pop and melodies or Lennons meaningful songs whether about depression or love. I like him anyhow.

George would clock in around 3rd for the solo stuff in my world. Ringo's last 5 or 6 albums have been nothing short of awesome in my opinion so he gets the nod for 2nd. John still comes in last.

I just can't equate McCartney 2 and Gonne Troppo in the same breath McCartney 2 as two good songs in Coming Up and Waterfalls , but Troppo is brilliant from start to finish .Never heard Gone Troppo until recently , but i think it's a cracking 80's album much better than the dross i was listening to in the early 80's , it reminds me of XTC albums of the period ? it's quirky and a lot of fun .Don't think George knew what he'd created with this album a couple of wacky music video's for the title track and Dream Away and he could have had a monster hit album on his hands , it was a real mistake not to promote this album .I do agree George's albums take a few listens to get into , but when he's this cool it's worth the effort

Don't think George's "Gone Troppo" is a million miles away from XTC's "Yacht Dance" ? from the English Settlement album also from (1982) Think George was very current with this album and it's sound , i can hear the quirky similarities between the two songs and respective albums ?

Although milder, I tend to agree with Kevin. I have always felt that George was largely repeating himself during his solocarreer. There's a couple of good songs on most of his albums, but the rest passes by without sticking to my mind.

^^^^ And John and Paul did'nt repeat themselves ?I think in their respective solo careers they all developed a style which carried on from album to album .Not much you can do to change a Beatles voice unless you have Yoko to balance it out

^^^^ And John and Paul did'nt repeat themselves ?I think in their respective solo careers they all developed a style which carried on from album to album .Not much you can do to change a Beatles voice unless you have Yoko to balance it out

I see more development in Pauls and even Johns output than in Georges. It's not just the voices.

I really do think George was very good in the 80's ? thats really surprised me . Two very solid albums in Somewhere In England and Cloud Nine and one outstanding album in Gone Troppo .When you consider his film productions and the Travelling Wilberys project as well as these three albums he had a very productive 80's ?

I see more development in Pauls and even Johns output than in Georges. It's not just the voices.

In some ways it's a bit unfair to compare George to John and Paul , Bobber he was not in the same league as them very few artists are .George to me is further down the list of music greats on a parr with someone like Cat Stevens although he's not like him , but that kind of middle range talent .Thats not me putting him down , just think he's a different to John and Paul a lesser songwriter and singer but still very interesting in his own way ?

In some ways it's a bit unfair to compare George to John and Paul , Bobber he was not in the same league as them very few artists are .George to me is further down the list of music greats on a parr with someone like Cat Stevens although he's not like him , but that kind of middle range talent .Thats not me putting him down , just think he's a different to John and Paul a lesser songwriter and singer but still very interesting in his own way ?

Erm, well, you compared George with McCartney and Lennon in the first place.

I prefer the 70's period. George got a determination to do his own kind of music, without influence of the "radio". And I think that he don't do the kind of songs that shame you when listen (OK, maybe 1 or 2) while John and Paul, maybe using his status, do some songs that everybody hate if they weren't former beatles.Of course, together to these songs they write classics, but I think that, in average, George got a very much solid carreer.This is not a competition, just the way that I see them.

Okay - I listened to the Gone Troppo songs. Like you Dave I was really into XTC, and I can see where you see the link. I still don't think george cuts it. The songs aren't that great and I always struggle with his weedy vocal.Quirky it is. But to be honest it sounds more like a bad 10cc than a good XTC.

I'm just beside myself that somebody can actually enjoy 'Gone Troppo'. I realize my opinion means absolutley nothing, but I thought the album would speak for itself.

2nd favorite George album Dave? Really? I like 'Wake Up My Love' because of the drum pattern, but thats it. Oh well, i'm glad you like it pal, but I cant side with you on this one.

It could well become my favourite tkitna it just sounds really fresh ,it's got a sunny feel to it , i like how the synths and guitar sound together .I'm viewing it within the time it was made , as well as XTC i was into the Human League Dare era and Yazoo around 1982 , so i suppose that early synth pop sound is familiar to me and it as a feel of that .It's kind of a nostalgic thing i would say .Just great to hear an album i did'nt know until recently from that period with that quirky sound , it fits brilliantly with Dare (1981) and Upstairs At Eric's (1982) might do a tape of all three .You can see the fact i liked Yazoo and The Human League in the early 80's i have wired taste or no taste in music

Okay - I listened to the Gone Troppo songs. Like you Dave I was really into XTC, and I can see where you see the link. I still don't think george cuts it. The songs aren't that great and I always struggle with his weedy vocal.Quirky it is. But to be honest it sounds more like a bad 10cc than a good XTC.

I most admit Kevin the biggest hurdle i've had to jump getting into George is his voice , it did'nt sit easy on my ears he strains a lot , especially when he goe's out of his range .But i just seem to have got used to his voice it's pleasant enough but not brilliant .As i said to tkitna it might just be i find Gonne Troppo nostalgic